Can You Believe It's Been 5 Years?!

2010 marks 5 years since I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I won't reach this milestone until November, but a few months ago I started thinking about how I was going to celebrate being free from cancer. In 2007 I participated in the Komen 3Day (walking 60 miles in 3 days) to celebrate the end of treatment and life returning to normal. However, I didn't finish the walk. I wasn't physically up to it. I said then that if I make it to the coveted 5 year mark that I would walk the 3Day again. So I looked it up and decided to participate in the walk taking place in Chicago on August 6-8. My sister Kelli couldn't walk it with me the first go-round, but said she'd love to do it with me at the 5 year mark. So I called her up and am holding her to the promise! She's joining me, so we formed a team: The Rack Pack. (Thanks for the name Kelli.) I began talking about it with my friends Diana and Rebecca and they wanted to walk too! So now The Rack Pack is 4 members strong! If anyone else is interested in joining us, I will share a link to our team page where you can register to be a member of our team.

For those of you that followed me last time, you know that the biggest obstacle is not walking the 60 miles, but raising the money: $2300 a walker minimum. It seems like a lot, but it is such an important cause. Knowing now that I am a genetic carrier of the breast cancer gene mutation only makes my urgency greater. Emma has not been genetically tested, but it is something that we will do in the future. She needs to know her risk, and with statistics at 1 in 8 women being diagnosed with breast cancer she needs to be ahead of the curve. Money for research is continually needed. This research has also led to break-throughs for other types of cancer. I know some people feel like other forms of cancer don't get as much publicity as breast cancer, but all cancer benefits from continued research and trials.

Soon I will begin bombarding your inboxes and mailboxes with fundraising requests. You will be sick of hearing about this before spring even arrives I'm sure! :) How can you feel good about yourself when yet another email or letter arrives? Knowing that you've already joined in my CELEBRATION by donating to me and perhaps even to some of my other team members!!

Please help me meet my goal as soon as possible. You can go to my donation page and make a donation online or you can print off a donation form and mail in your donation.

Thank you for loving me and supporting me and for helping Emma's future look a little brighter that perhaps a cure will be found for this disease soon!